Single Mom Raising 14 Kids: Part 2

For those of you who are my facebook pals you know I posted a weekend update to Storked! about new developments about the single mom who gave birth to 8 babies and who has another 6 at home--home being her Mom and Dad's--a modest three bedroom (Yikes!). The single mom in question is Nayda Suleman and her mom, Angela Suleman, told reporters her daughter is obsessed with babies. I enjoyed reading some of the weekend comments...

PamelaSC said: "OK. Here is where the Bitch that is Pam is going to go OFF: OH HELL NO...I'm working my butt off to support the two I have in this economy...I've just been told my own work hours may be cut by ten percent, and I'm supposed to help foot the bill for HER 14 kids??!! I don't THINK so...this makes me see red. She could have kept those embryos frozen until she was ready to support them, one at a time. She chose not to. Sweetheart, either give them up for adoption to families who can support them, or there's the dandelions...make it work. I've got my hands full with my own. She has a degree. Let HER figure it out then. GRRRRRR!"

Sonya121 said: "This woman really needs psychiatric help, and those kids need a chance in life. My parents come from large families, 9 children on one side, 13 on the other. The difference is that there were TWO parents there, and they didn't all come at once! My dad was raised by his parents and older siblings because he's one of the youngest. My mom raised her youngest sister because by the time the baby came along she was old enough to care for her. It's very similar to what the Duggars in Arkansas with the 17 kids do. Mom takes care of them until they're old enough to be paired up with an older sibling. Either this doctor who implanted the 8 embryo's is severely unethical, or Suleman lied about how many pregnancies she had. I'm inclined to believe he's unethical because the article stated she'd used the same sperm for all of her children. So was she carrying it around with her until she found a new doc? Doubtful! Honestly, I really think taxpayers are going to bear the burden for this."

Both talk about taxpayers bearing the burden. It struck a nerve in me. This morning I sat at my desk and wrote out my bills. XYZ later I made it through another month--and I needed to buy stamps. I noticed some comments awhile back hinting that the gov. foots the bill for my lil family and I actually think some of you are curious. The answer is a big, fat, NO. I have a contract with Glamour mag. I sold a book. I just landed an awesome column gig for another big website (more soon--YAY!). Do you think I would have left my FT job at First if I couldn't handle the freelance life? I was also miffed when people got down on my girl Erin for buying Gucci shades. The thing is, I don't need to tell you we are in a recession, but guess what, I work hard. Very hard. So if I want to buy my kid a train table, take him on a weekend getaway I can. I answer to no one, because at the end of the month I'm sitting solo at my desk with my checkbook. Do I cut back on things? Sure! Am I, like the rest of America freaked out about the state of the economy? Hell yeah. I'm also freaked out about the state of the mag and book industry--my bread and butter.

Now, I too wonder if Nayda, single (Holy!) mom of 14 is going to be getting gov. assistance. I heard on the news it is going to cost 2 million to foot basic needs for these kids. Basic.

Keep talking about this...and check out this NYT article on moms who choose to do it solo.